Rectifier system.



0. LE G. FORTESGUE. RECTIFIER SYSTEM.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JUNE 21, 1912.

1,1 30,265. I Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

2 8HEETSSHEET 1.

' AfTORNEY 0. LE G. PORTESGUB.

RECTIFIER SYSTEM.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 21, 1912.

1,1 30,265, Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 A ITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

CHARLES LE G. FORTESCUE, OF PITTSBURGH. PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING- COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

Application filed am.- ai, 1912. Serial Nb. 205,015.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES Ln G. Fon- TESCUE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rectifier Systems, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention relates to systems of distribution in which alternating current is rectified by means of mercuryvapor and similar devices, and particularly to such systems as embody regulating transformers for maintaining the rectified current substantially constant in value.

The object of my invention is to provide a system of the character indicated, in which means are employed for limiting, to a harmless-value, the current that traverses the circuit upon the occurrence of a short circuit in the rectifying apparatus.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 of which is a diagrammatic view of a system of distribu tion embodying the same, and Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification of the system of Fig. 1.

According to the present invention, two mercury vapor or other suitable rectifying devices 1 and 2 are supplied with substantiallv constant amounts of current, as shown in Fig. 1, from a single constant-current regulating transformer 3 which comprises a core member 4: having three legs, the central one of which is surrounded byprimary coils 5 and 6 and secondary coils 7 and, 8. The primary coils 5 and 6 are connected in series or in any other suitable relation, to a supply circuit 11-12. The terminals of secondary coil 7 are respectively connected to the anodes of the rectifier 2, and an intermediate point of the coil is connected to the rectifier cathode, suitable translating devices 13, constituting a load. being included in the latter connection. The secondary coil 8 is similarly connected to the rectifier 1.

In the connections between the secondary coils and the anodes of the rectifiers are included the windings 15, 16,17 and 18, respectively, of two impedance devices 19 and 20, each of which comprises a magnetinable' core 21 having two legs that are respectively surrounded by the said windings, the anodes of each rectifier being respectively connected to windings belonging to difi'erent lmped- Specification of Letters Patent.

RECTIFIER SYSTEM.

Patented Mar. 2, 19

ance devices. provided with air gaps for the purpose of adjusting the reactances afforded by the devices. The coils upon each of the cores are adapted to produce fluxes simultaneously in the same direction; that is, supplementary to each other.

In the operation of the system, the primary coils 5 and 6 are caused, by the magnetic forces acting upon them, to occupy such positions that the current ,supplied to The cores 21 are preferably I the rectifiers will be maintained substan-' tially' constant, irrespective of the change of load,'and, by reason of the peculiar arrangement of the primary and secondary coils with respect to each other, the regulating transformer will also aii'ord suii icient reactance for sustaining the rectified currents. As before stated, thewindings of the impedance devices 19 and 20 normally produce supplementary fluxes with the result that normally they introduce comparatively small amounts of reactance into the secondary circuits. The connections are also such that onl one of the said devices is active at a time. However. if a short circuit occurs in one ot the rectifiers as, for instance. in the rectifier 1, the coils 15 and 17, belonging to different impedance devices. will be simultaneously traversed b current. with the result that the in troduction of the additional winding into the circuit traversed by the short circuit current affords sutlicient reactance for limit ing the short circuit current to a low and harmless value. By reason of the opposition to the flow of short circuit current, the occurrence of the short circuits themselves is rendered difficult and infrequent.

In the system'of Fig. 2, two independent regulators are emplo ed instead of one. but otherwise the connections and operation of the system are similar to those of the system of Fig. 1. I

I cl im as m invention:

1. The combination with transforming apparatus comprising two secondary windings, of two current rectifiers connected to said windingsand two impedance devices each com rising two normally su plementary winding that are respectively interposed in the connections between the rectifiers and the secondary windings of the transforming apparatus.

2. The combination with transforming apparatus comprising two secondary wind ings, of two current rectifiers connected to said windings, and two impedance devices ach com rising two normally supplementary win ings that are respectively int-erposed in the connections between the rectifiers and the secondary windings of the transforming apparatus, the connections to each rectifier including a winding of each impedance device.

3.. The combination with transformin apparatus comprising two separate eecon each comprising two normally supplementarywindiugs that are respectively lnterpiised-in the connections between the recti- 'fiers and the secondary windings of the transforming apparatus, the connections to each rectifier including a. winding of each impedance device.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto s'ubscribedmy name this 18th day of June,

LES LE G. FORTESCUE. Witnesses: I i

S. Sc'rmmm, B. B. Hume. 

